Sakura Petals
by Impure Perfection
Summary: All wars come to a close sooner or later. However, the cost of ending a war quickly may be higher than bargained for.


Kakashi waved at the pale-eyed receptionist as he approached.

"Yo." He greeted as was his routine.

And, per the usual, the receptionist paused in her work, looked up at him, smiled at him, and nodded before resuming her work.

"Evening Kakashi-sensei." Hinata chimed as she stamped the document she was looking at. "You can head on in."

Kakashi grinned and nodded.

"Thank you." He saluted despite having never paused in his stride. Carrying on he soon came to the large red doors of solid oak and didn't pause as he strode through him. "Yo." He greeted again, this time with his signature eye smile in place. "Naruto, I have a request from…." The jounin trailed off as he opened his eye and saw a raven-haired man sitting where a blonde out to be. "Sasuke?"

"Yep." The Uchiha answered without taking his eyes off the two documents he was cross-examining. "What'cha need sensei?"

"Uh, well I needed to get maternal leave approved by Naruto."

"Oh? Who's the father?"

Kakashi choked before scowling at the still pre-occupied man.

"I meant, Anko Hatake has formally requested she be put on maternal leave and I have come to ask in her stead."

"We are thinking of the same Anko right? Because 'Anko formally requesting' anything is akin to 'Kakashi being punctual' or 'Gai being soft spoken.'"

Kakashi lowered his prized book to openly glare at the raven-haired man who was now openly smirking at him.

"Fine." Kakashi ground out."Her words were to my 'scrawny ass' over here and get the 'damned gaki' to approve her leave or I'd be sleeping on the couch for the duration of the pregnancy since my god forsaken ass caused the whole mess."

Sasuke grinned and gave a brief nod before returning to the documents in his hands.

"That sounds about right. Don't worry, I'll make sure her leave is approved before the day is up."

"Good to know. However," Kakashi paused to make himself at home on the couch. "last I checked only the hokage or the head medic could make such a call."

"Yep." Sasuke responded as he finally lit one document on fire and signed the remaining document. "However, at the moment we don't have a hokage, so I'm acting hokage."

"Oh? And why would you need to do that?"

Sasuke froze for but a fraction of a second as he reached for a file.

Kakashi caught it.

"Well, I'll have to let Naruto know I was right."

Kakashi blinked.

"Right about what?"

"How long it would take. I said it would happen after ten years, he said twenty. Turns out it only took seven."

"For what to happen?" Kakashi questioned. He was raking his brain for what was so significant about today's date, yet he could come up with nothing.

Sasuke sighed and leaned back into the large chair.

"For us to no longer notice the sakura trees bloom."

Kakashi's visible eye widened as realization dawned.

For several moments silence reigned supreme in the office. Neither of the men moved a muscle. They didn't need to. Both of them were in the past thinking of their loss, the victory, and the price paid. One recalling a prized student lost to battle. The other thinking of all the wrongs done to a precious teammate who simply wanted to save him. Eventually a knock at the door disturbed their reverie. Kakashi tucked his book away and stood.

"Well then, I think I'll take a stroll around the village before letting Anko-hime know her leave was approved."

Sasuke nodded.

"I'll try and swing by later to congratulate her." Sasuke called as he put on his game face to greet whoever was at the door.

"Your funeral." Kakashi mumbled with a grin before opening the door and stepping out.

**8888**

"Evening Kaka-sensei." Kakashi heard Naruto call out before he even saw the blonde.

Chuckling at being detected, Kakashi walked around the tree to see Naruto resting in a Sakura tree. The blonde was laid out on one of the limbs with his eyes shut and his hands resting behind his head. His burnt orange coat with black flames was draped over a nearby branch leaving Naruto in his standard attire of a black long-sleeve shirt and his burnt orange pants.

He looked more like himself this way than he did decked out in his hokage robes and hat. But then again, he was hard to mistake with his shoulder length blonde hair, signature whisker marks, hitai-ate made of black steel, and most noticeably the long red scar running diagonally across his face. Naruto was far too distinctive to miss. Not to mention he was known around the world. There wasn't a soul who hadn't heard the name of Naruto Namikaze.

"Evening yourself." Kakashi greeted as he leaned against the tree Naruto was resting in. "You know, even with Pakkun it took a while to track you down."

Naruto rumbled with laughter but other wise didn't respond.

"Seven years is good chunk of time isn't it." Kakashi prompted in hopes of drawing the blonde out of his shell.

"It is. If I'm not mistake it's how long it took you to reach the rank of jonin." Naruto fired back evenly.

"And the same amount of time it took you to become hokage."

Naruto chuckled.

"It most certainly is a good amount of time. But, nowhere near enough. Though, you would know that better than I."

Kakashi nodded once before pushing off the tree and looking up at the still resting blonde.

"I would. I also know delaying the inevitable of moving on only prolongs the pain."

Naruto just waved the masked nin off.

"I know, I know Kaka-sensei." Naruto retorted half-heartedly. "But taking a single day out of year is far different than daily visiting a gravestone."

Kakashi took the barb without flinching. Shrugging he turned and started to walk away.

"Just don't be out too late."

"Hai hai sensei." Naruto mumbled as he got comfortable once again. He heard Kakashi walk a few paces away before using a shushin to vanish in a swirl of leaves.

"Naruto-kun, you know you shouldn't be rude to Kaka-sensei. Even if you are hokage now."

Naruto chuckled but didn't move a muscle otherwise.

"I know hime, but he was cutting in on our time."

Sakura thumped the blonde on the forehead before plopping down on the same branch Naruto was lying on.

"That is not a valid excuse for being rude to sensei."

Naruto snorted and cracked an eye open to gaze at the pink haired woman. Her pink locks now flowed freely down her back with her signature-parted bangs framing her face. She wore a mid-thigh length battle skirt of light red coloring with a familiar pattern of black flames on the bottom. A fishnet shirt under a matching sleeveless crop top completed her look. Even after all these years he still swore she was the most beautiful person he had ever met. Though, his perception of beauty had changed drastically since his academy years. Now he could see the internal beauty his younger self had missed.

"It is too a good reason." He finally responded after admiring the view. "In fact, I think it's a _perfectly_ good reason. Him I can see any time I want."

Sakura giggled and shoved his leg.

"Oh quit being a baby. So, what's happened this year?"

Naruto sucked in a breath before maneuvering to a sitting position with his back against the trunk of the tree.

"Let's see, where to start? Well, internally not much. Konohamaru married both Moegi and Hanabi, don't ask how that works cause I have no desire to know. Kakashi retired and settled down with Anko. Judging by the smell of him I'd say she's pregnant. Again. And, most importantly, Ayame-neechan officially added the 'Hokage Special' to Ichiraku's menu." Naruto boasted eliciting a giggle from his companion. "Internationally not much has changed. Kiri is still working on relocating to more secure ground. Would you believe the exploration teams still haven't found the bottom of our hole? Anyways, Kumo is doing fine aside from Bee driving everyone nuts. And Gaara is still running Suna with Matsuri. Oh! Temari and Shikamaru's finally got married so the two of them bounce between villages."

Sakura laughed and shook her head.

"So did he finally propose or did she just give up and propose to him?" Sakura questioned with a grin.

"As I hear it, she gave him the ring and a look. A day later he proposed."

Sakura's laughter echoed across the orchard and Naruto was content to lie there and listen to it. He didn't hear it near as often as he once had. Yet it was still music to his ears to hear her laugh. Reaching forward he wrapped his arms around her midriff and pulled her against him. Letting out a sigh of contentment he let his chin rest on her head. Sakura, for her part, simply giggled and shook her head.

"I think that's the longest you've managed to resist doing that."

"I take that as a sign I'm maturing." Naruto shot back with a grin.

"It only took you twenty four years." Sakura teased even as she wrapped her arms around his. "So, what else happened while I was sleeping?"

**8888**

Spring was always the busiest time of the year in Konoha.

Even before the madness with Pein had happened the village had always gotten busy come springtime. The weather warmed and mellowed to a perfect temperature for a single month every year. The roads were no longer soggy from the wet winter, and travel became far more popular. Businesses bloomed from the tourism. And that's not even counting the festivals. In this one month alone there were at least two festivals every week. The biggest festival was always the Grand Spring Festival. Planned weeks in advance vendors and merchants came from miles around to get a prime lot of land for the festival. Even the daimyo came partake of the festivities. Food, drink, and fireworks were in abundance for the festival. There was even an annual parade from the main gate to the hokage tower. The festival took an entire week to run its course before winding down as people slowly returned to their homelands.

However, had you lived in Konoha the past seven years than you knew the real festival was the Festival of Flowers. It wasn't a grand event. It didn't last more than a day. No one special came to town. It was always on a different day each year, and always came unannounced. A select few might notice the flowers bloom and spread the word, but more often than not the festival took the village by surprise.

Kakashi watched as the last rays of the sun peaked over the village walls. It was bound to begin any moment. Grinning he leapt up to a nearby rooftop and tucked his book away to watch the show.

Mothers were telling their little ones to watch the pink trees. Husbands gathered and shared a drink while they waited. Children climbed up in the trees in hopes of being whisked away. The ninja, on the other hand, were all mentally preparing themselves.

And then it hit.

As always, the faintest ripple ran through the air sending shivers down everyone's spines. That was the heads up. The alert. The warning. The prelude. The opening trumpet. The call to attention. Because what followed next, was otherworldly.

Chakra surged through the village in a deluge of raw power. The entire village, and miles of forestland surrounding the village, was saturated by the chakra. Yet, the chakra held no malice or killer intent. Instead, the chakra swept through the land and settled across it as a lover might embrace a warrior come home at last. It seeped into every orifice of the land and mended the land as the already blooming plants flourished. It was a warm, calm chakra filled with such power and potential it. The chakra was so thick and so potent even the civilians were able to feel it and bask it its warmth and serenity. The shinobi of the village calmed themselves and allowed the foreign chakra to seep into and set their souls at ease, for fighting such an omnipotent force was futile and would only harm them. Besides, anyone who had fought on the front lines in the past war would recognize the chakra.

It was Naruto's. He was bathing the village and land in his chakra to announce the coming of spring. Ever since Naruto had become the jinchurriki of all the tailed beast and the ten-tailed beast he had done this once a year.

Some thought it was a necessary pressure release for all the chakra contained within him.

Others thought it was simply Naruto's way of subtly reminding the world why war was a bad idea.

Others still thought he was doing it as vengeance. That he wanted to scare the village and remind them that he could obliterate them with but a thought.

Others still thought it was his way to mourn the losses of battle.

No one knew, and no one asked. No one thought it a good idea to question the man with the power of gods.

And so, they simply enjoyed basking the chakra and letting it nourish them. Sickness fled from the purifying flood of chakra. Hatred and rage dissipated. Spirits lifted to unheard of heights, and love blossomed. The euphoria of the village grew and built up until a crescendo of delight filed cries rung out across the village. Kids and adults alike danced and jumped about shouting and hollering in joy. Sense and logic flew out the window as people enjoyed simply being alive. Young and old alike basked in the innocent celebration of pure bliss.

To an unaffected bystander the village appeared full of drunken fools celebrating everything and nothing.

And presiding over the entire show was Naruto.

Perched atop the hokage monument he looked down at the village and grinned.

"They are all so amusing to watch." He mused before a fist bopped him on the top of the head.

"Don't laugh at them." Sakura chided as she sat down next to him. "It's not their fault they don't know how to take it. They're human. They can't comprehend being attached to power such as this. You're just lucky none of them try to harness any of this power."

"Bah, even if they tried you'd notice them trying to touch our power. So, any progress with old Shinju?"

"Ugh." Sakura groaned before flopping against Naruto and letting her head rest on his shoulder. "Not really. Even without his chakra his sheer enormity makes it difficult to manage him. He is beginning to speak, but that's about it."

"So, no real progress?" Naruto asked, desperation and weariness in his voice.

In answer Sakura poked him in the side.

"Oi! That hurt."

"Oh quit your whining. Besides, we both knew that _if_ progress was ever made it would be decades down the road. Shinju was a deity of solidarity and single-mindedness for millennia, we can't expect instant change."

"I know, I know…" Naruto mumbled miserably. "It's just…. I…. I miss you hime." Naruto half grumbled half choked out.

Sakura smiled sadly and moved into his lap before curling up against his chest.

"I know you do. I miss you Naruto-kun, but this is how it has to be done. Unless we let Sasuke subdue it. But…" Sakura prompted.

"But then we'd just be controlling it, not changing it." Naruto mumbled out. It sucked to have his words thrown back at him.

"Which is why I stay inside working with the biju to teach him peace while you stay out here and control his chakra."

"I know all that." Naruto huffed before wrapping his arms tightly around the girl in his lap. "I still miss you. I go to bed every night without you, and pray my dreams lead me to you. I wake up every morning knowing I can't see you, and it hurts. We had one night, _one night_, before this happened. Now I'm facin…" He was cut off as a pair of soft pink lips covered his.

Sakura pulled back after the shakes had left Naruto's body.

"I know love, I know. But we have to. Eventually Shinju will learn. And when he does I can return to your side."

Naruto sighed and pressed his lips to hers once more before simply resting his forehead against hers. For a while the two simply sat there. They were both more than content to simply hold one another. Were time to freeze in that moment, with the world at peace, the village celebrating, and them in their own private world they would be content for all eternity. Sadly, the moment could not last forever.

"Have you guys at least named him?" Naruto asked breaking the silence. "We can't just keep calling him Shinju."

Sakura giggled and shook her head.

"Not really. Kurama swears we should just name him 'dick-head' and just never tell him what it means."

Naruto roared with laughter and shook his head.

"I take it Kurama is getting tired of playing with the old stump?"

"Oh he is beyond tired. But he understands the logic behind it. You know, he actually reminds me of you."

"Wha? How on earth does that ignorant pile of fur remind you of me?"

"Because he is impulsive, untiring, brash, freely states his opinions be they good or bad, can cuss a person out as he gives his all to saving that same person, and" She paused to kiss Naruto on his forehead. "The old fox snores loud enough to wake the dead."

"Oh shut it you!" Naruto huffed before letting his head loll back. Gazing upwards he saw the crimson red moon gazing back at him. At one point in time he had feared that very same moon. All of Madara and Obito's boasts of 'infinite Tsukuyomi' and enslaving the world had gotten to him. Every night he looked up at the night sky and could only feel fear of the moon. As quick as things were changing during that time period, it wasn't impossible for those two mad men to have won and enslaved the whole world before anyone could to anything about it.

But it hadn't happened. In the end, the two lunatics had been shipped back off to the afterlife. Naruto had won. He had beaten them to the punch and sealed the Shinju into himself. Not only preventing them from doing so, but also giving him the power to obliterate them once and for all.

It had only cost half the continent, all of Iwa, millions of innocents, and Sakura's body.

"It's almost time." Naruto breathed out wearily.

"Hmmmm?" Sakura mumbled as her gaze followed Naruto's up to the moon. "Time's up already?"

"Afraid so. I can feel my hold slipping."

Sakura huffed and buried her head into Naruto's chest even as he got back to his feet and carried Sakura up with him. Not that she had feet to stand on any longer.

"I don't wanna go back." Sakura mumbled.

"I know love, I know." Naruto whispered before tipping her head back to tenderly press his lips to hers once again. He couldn't get enough of her.

"May I have this dance milady?"

Sakura grinned and gladly accepted the offered hand despite already being in his arms. "You may have it whenever you wish."

And without another word he stepped off the cliff and into the night leaving behind naught but a pile of sakura petals.

Far below them down in the village the wind began to pick up even as the chakra began to die down. Slowly the euphoria died down and sense and logic attempted to creep in unnoticed as people ceased their nonsensical celebration. The celebration had been mutual and shared. Sense and logic may have returned, but prejudice, hate, scorn, and modesty were still out to lunch.

As the villagers came down from their high the wind steadily picked up until the village was caught in a veritable windstorm. Yet, the wind wasn't damaging. Property and persons were unaffected by the winds. Only plant life was affected as the winds picked up millions of flowers and flower petals. The wind seemed especially focused on the sakura trees as the petals were pulled into the night sky were they gathered in mass. Illuminated by the crimson red moon the millions of flower petals swirled in the heavens in the shape of a nine-pronged spiral.

And at the center was the shimmering light of the new world. Naruto Namikaze stood illuminated in the glory of his power. Stood proudly before his village, and the world.

And, stood by himself.


End file.
